Health Services Administrators

Career summary

Health services administrators may also be called health care administrators or coordinators, health services managers, hospital administrators, clinical managers, public health service operators, emergency room managers, or other titles depending on the specialty.

#match with wois 1134

Health services administrators run hospitals and other health care facilities. They manage nursing homes and other services for older people. Some health administrators oversee entire hospitals and others manage large clinical areas or departments. Others manage large medical practices for physicians.

All health services administrators have tasks that are similar. They must:

• Stay up to date on new laws and regulations
• Be responsible for quality health care services
• Supervise assistant administers
• Represent the facility to investors, governing boards, and the public

Health services administrators who oversee all parts of a clinic or hospital set budgets and oversee how money is spent. They raise money to construct new buildings or buy new equipment.

Administrators regularly communicate with staff, department heads, and members of governing boards. They attend meetings and write reports.

Some health services administrators promote health education programs. They often work with community groups to determine the health needs of the local area. They may also develop teaching materials for community health education.

Other health service administers oversee departments and specific areas of a health care facility. They hire staff, establish work schedules, and assign duties to staff.

Health services administrators must keep up on changes in government regulations, insurance, data technology, and medical equipment. This field is constantly advancing.

Clinical managers

Clinical managers direct a specific department such as surgery or physical therapy. They set budgets and determine procedures for their department. Most clinical administrators have training and work experience in the area they manage.

It managers

IT managers direct the computer and information technology department.

Health information managers

Health information managers maintain the security of all patient records. They stay up to date on laws pertaining to patient records and make sure the facility complies with all regulations.

Financial managers

Financial mangers manage the finances of the facility, including patient fees and billing. They develop and maintain accounting systems.

Facilities managers

Facilities managers make sure buildings are safe and clean and that equipment is in good working order. They make sure that buildings are accessible to people with disabilities.

Related careers

This career is part of the Health Science cluster of careers.

Related careers include:

• Administrative Services Managers
• Business Executives
• College and University Administrators
• Education Administrators
• Human Resources Managers
• Management Analysts
• Marketing Managers
• Public Relations and Fundraising Managers
• Purchasing Managers
• Social and Community Service Managers

Military careers

• Health Services Administrators

Job duties

Task list

The following list of tasks is specific to health services administrators.

• Set budgets and oversee spending in hospitals or clinics.
• Determine the need for health services in communities.
• Stay informed on changes in health services and government regulations. Make organization-level changes when necessary.
• Set goals for quality and make sure goals are met.
• Oversee all aspects of delivering health care to make sure resources are used wisely.
• Oversee medical research programs.
• Inspect buildings and equipment to make sure they are safe and accessible.
• Develop and promote community health education programs.
• Direct and coordinate the activities of a hospital or clinical department.
• Hire and evaluate staff or department employees.
• Make sure the organization is ready to handle an emergency.
• Regularly communicate with staff, department heads, and boards of directors about operations and needs.
• Maintain computer records to store and process employee data.
• Write department activity reports.
• Create work schedules and make staff assignments.
• Keep up-to-date in advancements in medicine, equipment, government regulations, and insurance changes.

Common work activities

Health services administrators perform the following tasks. These tasks are common to many careers.

• Communicate with supervisors, peers, or subordinates
• Document and record information
• Use computers
• Evaluate information against standards
• Process information
• Make decisions and solve problems
• Organize, plan, and prioritize work
• Establish and maintain relationships
• Get information needed to do the job
• Update and use job-related knowledge
• Guide, direct, and motivate others
• Coach others
• Analyze data or information
• Develop and build teams
• Judge the value of objects, services, or people
• Explain the meaning of information to others
• Coordinate the work and activities of others
• Identify objects, actions, and events
• Schedule work and activities
• Develop goals and strategies
• Provide advice and consultation to others
• Recruit, interview, or hire others
• Teach others
• Monitor events, materials, and surroundings
• Monitor and control resources
• Resolve conflicts and negotiate with others
• Perform administrative tasks
• Think creatively
• Communicate with people outside the organization
• Estimate sizes, quantities, time, cost, or materials needed

Work requirements

Working conditions

In a typical work setting, health services administrators:

Interpersonal relationships

• Have a high level of social interaction. They frequently work with other administrators, employees, and the public.
• Communicate by telephone, letters and memos, and in person on a daily basis. They communicate less often by e-mail.
• Are greatly responsible for work outcomes and the results of other workers in their health care facilities.
• Are often placed in conflict situations. Budgets and insurance plans are complex and people may differ about how to manage them.
• Often must deal with angry, unpleasant, or discourteous people.
• Are responsible for the health and safety of employees and patients.
• Regularly work in a group or as part of a team.

Physical work conditions

• Always work indoors in offices, hospitals, and other health care facilities.
• Are occasionally exposed to diseases or infections when interacting with patients.
• May on occasion wear safety gear, such as gloves and masks, when visiting medical facilities.
• Work near others. They may share the same office space.

Work performance

• Must be exact in their work. Errors could prevent hospitals and clinics from running smoothly.
• Constantly make decisions that affect the hospital or clinic.
• Make decisions that affect patients and staff members on a daily basis. They rarely consult a supervisor before deciding a course of action.
• Set nearly all tasks, goals, and priorities for the day without consulting a supervisor.
• Must be aware of moderate job pressures. Hospitals and clinics are heavily dependent on accurate budgets.
• Abide by strict deadlines on a daily basis.
• Often repeat the same activities, such as using a computer mouse or typing.

Hours/travel

• Usually work full time.
• Generally work a set schedule.
• May work longer hours during emergencies or to meet deadlines.
• May work evenings or nights in hospitals or other care facilities that operate around the clock.

Physical demands

Health services administrators frequently:

• Sit for long periods of time.
• Repeat the same movements.

It is important for health services administrators to be able to:

• Speak clearly so listeners can understand.
• Understand the speech of another person.
• See details of objects that are less than a few feet away.

It is not as important, but still necessary, for health services administrators to be able to:

• See details of objects that are more than a few feet away.
• Focus on one source of sound and ignore others.
• Hear sounds and recognize the difference between them.
• See differences between colors, shades, and brightness.
• Determine the distance between objects.

Skills and abilities

Health services administrators need to:

Communicate

• Speak clearly so listeners can understand.
• Understand spoken information.
• Understand written information.
• Write clearly so other people can understand.
• Read and understand work-related materials.
• Listen to others and ask questions.

Reason and problem solve

• Analyze ideas and use logic to determine their strengths and weaknesses.
• Judge the costs and benefits of a possible action.
• Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong.
• Use reasoning to discover answers to problems.
• Understand new information or materials by studying and working with them.
• Combine several pieces of information and draw conclusions.
• Recognize the nature of a problem.
• Identify what must be changed to reach goals.
• Follow guidelines to arrange objects or actions in a certain order.
• Develop rules that group items in various ways.
• Recognize when important changes happen or are likely to happen in a system.
• Think of new ideas about a topic.
• Think of original, unusual, or creative ways to solve problems.

Manage oneself, people, time, and things

• Manage the time of self and others.
• Motivate, develop, and direct people as they work.
• Check how well one is learning or doing something.
• Decide how to spend money to get the work done and keep track of how the money was used.
• Obtain needed equipment, facilities, and materials and oversee their use.

Work with people

• Change behavior in relation to others' actions.
• Be aware of others' reactions and understand the possible causes.
• Look for ways to help people.
• Persuade others to approach things differently.
• Teach others how to do something.
• Solve problems by bringing others together to discuss differences.
• Use several methods to learn or teach new things.

Work with things

• Analyze needs and requirements when designing products.

Education and training

Educational programs

The programs of study listed below will help you prepare for the occupation or career cluster you are exploring.

Programs of study directly related to this occupation

• Health Records Administration
• Health Services Administration
• Long Term Care Administration and Management
• Nursing Administration

Other programs of study to consider

• Advanced Nursing
• Business Management and Administration
• Business, General
• Health Unit Coordination
• Public and Community Health

Training

To work as a health services administrator, you typically need to:

• have a high school diploma or equivalent; 
• have at least a bachelor's degree; and
• have one to five years of related work experience.

Education after high school

Health services administrators must have at least a bachelor's degree. However, many have a master's degree, and many employers require it. Common areas of study are health services administration, business administration, and public health. Other possible programs are long-term care administration and health science. Some health services administrators are doctors. Clinical administrators often have a degree in a specialty, such as nursing.

Many colleges and universities offer master's programs in health services administration. Entry into these programs is competitive. Applicants with work experience and a bachelor's degree in business or a health-related field have the best chance of being accepted.

Work experience

This is not an entry-level occupation. You need experience in the medical industry before you can enter this occupation. Many health services administrators begin their careers as a nurse or doctor. After working in their profession for years, they switch to administration.

On-the-job training

Health services administrators update their knowledge and skills continually. Insurance requirements, laws, medical techniques, and computer technology change quickly. To keep up, managers attend seminars and classes.

Military training

Some branches of the military train people to be health services administrators. You need a bachelor's degree to enter this military occupation. Training lasts for ten to 12 weeks, depending on your specialty. Additional training occurs on the job.

Helpful high school courses

In high school, take classes that prepare you for college. A college preparatory curriculum may be different from your state's graduation requirements.

You should also consider taking some advanced courses in high school. This includes Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses if they are available in your school. If you do well in these courses, you may receive college credit for them. Advanced courses can also strengthen your college application.

Helpful electives to take in high school that prepare you for this career include:

• Accounting
• Communications
• Computer Applications
• Introduction to Business
• Introduction to Health Care
• Nursing

The courses listed above are meant to help you create your high school plan. If you have not already done so, talk to a school counselor or parent about the courses you are considering taking.

You should also check with a teacher or counselor to see if work-based learning opportunities are available in your school and community. These might include field trips, job shadowing, internships, and actual work experience. The goal of these activities is to help you connect your school experiences with real-life work.

Join some groups, try some hobbies, or volunteer with an organization that interests you. By participating in activities you can have fun, make new friends, and learn about yourself. Maybe one of them will help direct you to a future career. Here are examples of activities and groups that may be available in your high school or community.

Things to know

Most employers require a master's degree in health services administration, business, or a health science. They also require nursing home administrators to have a license. Some students complete a residency or internship as part of their studies. They may be hired by the health care facility where their residency is completed. In addition, many employers require prior work experience, often several years' worth.

Some government positions are filled by political appointment or through the military.

Employers also look for applicants who can make decisions and express their thoughts clearly.

People without advanced degrees have a better chance of entering this field in small rural health care facilities. Requirements for experienced workers frequently include a strong medical background.

Tips

Developing an area of expertise such as accounting, budgeting, public relations, or marketing is helpful.

Costs to workers

Workers may wish to join a professional association, which may have annual dues. Administrators must have appropriate professional attire. Workers who are health services administrators in nursing homes must be licensed by the State of Washington.

Licensing/certification

Hospital administrators and administrators of home health agencies are not licensed in Washington. Nursing home administrators must be licensed by the Washington State Board of Nursing Home Administrators. Licensing requirements include:

• being 21 years of age;
• a four-year college degree;
• completion of a Board of Nursing Home Administrators approved 500- to 1,500-hour (depending on prior related work experience) administrator-in-training (AIT) program in a nursing home under the supervision of a qualified preceptor;
• four-clock hours of AIDS education and training;
• passing a written national examination provided by the National Association of Boards of Examiners for Long-Term Care Administrators (NAB);
• completion of an approved course on laws relating to nursing homes in Washington within 180 days of licensure; and
• 36 hours of continuing education every two years once licensed.

The initial application and examination fee is $575 and the annual renewal fee is $695. The application fee for a health services administrator-in-training is $285. There is also a fee for the computer-based national exam. For information on the national exam, contact the National Association of Long-Term Care Administrator Boards .

#National exam fee is charged by the National Association of Long-Term Care Administrator Boards. Exam fee taken from http://www.nabweb.org  candidate's handbook. WA has no state exam requirement.

For more information, contact:

Washington State Department of Health
Health Professions Quality Assurance
Customer Service Center 
PO Box 47877
Olympia, WA 98504
360.236.4700

#Added requirement on nursing home laws in WA and made change to hours and years required for renewal, 3/29/06, CJ. No changes to licensing needed 4/3/08 or 4/21/10, cj. Checked info & updated fees 4/4/12 cj. Updated DOH url 6/11/12 cj. Checked licensing info 3/17/14 cj. checked, no changes 2/12/15 lh. Changed AIDS hours & DOH PO #; rest ok 4/20/16 cj. Updated fees, rest ok 4/3/18 cj.

Job listings

Listed below are links to job categories from the National Labor Exchange that relate to this career. Once you get a list of jobs, you can view information about individual jobs and find out how to apply. If your job search finds too many openings, or if you wish to search for jobs outside of Washington, you will need to refine your search.

• Medical and Health Services Managers 

To get a listing of current jobs from the WorkSource system, go to the WorkSource website .

Wages

Earnings vary by the size and type of health facility. In general, health services administrators earn more for managing larger facilities.

Benefits usually include sick leave, paid vacation, health insurance, and a retirement plan. Some administrators receive free meals. Others receive bonuses based on job performance.

Employment and outlook

Washington outlook

The table below provides information about the number of workers in this career in various regions. It also provides information about the expected growth rate and future job openings.

National employment

Nearly one third of all health services administrators work in hospitals.

Major employers:

• Hospitals
• Doctors' offices
• Nursing homes
• Home health care services

National outlook

Demand for health services administrators will be very strong as more health care facilities are built due to the growing aging population. Demand will also grow as more people covered by health insurance seek health care services. Growth will be highest in clinics because they offer many services that previously were only available in hospitals.

Other resources

American College of Health Care Administrators 
1101 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 450
Washington, DC 20036
800.561.3148

American College of Healthcare Executives 
One North Franklin Street, Suite 1700
Chicago, IL 60606
312.424.2800

American Health Care Association 
1201 L Street NW
Washington, DC 20005
202.842.4444

American Health Information Management Association 
233 North Michigan Avenue, 21st Floor
Chicago, IL 60601
312.233.1100

American Health Information Management Association Career Page 
What is Health Information?

American Hospital Association 
155 North Wacker Drive
Chicago, IL 60606
312.422.3000

American Medical Association 

American Medical Informatics Association 

Explore Health Careers: Health Administrator 

National Association of Health Services Executives 
1050 Connecticut Ave NW, 5th Floor
Washington DC, 20036

National Association of Long Term Care Administrator Boards 
1120 20th Street, NW, Suite 750
Washington, DC 20036
202.712.9040

Professional Association of Healthcare Office Management 
1576 Bella Cruz Drive, Suite 360
Lady Lake, FL 32159

Washington Health Care Association 
303 Cleveland Avenue SE, Suite 206
Tumwater, WA 98501
800.562.6170
360.352.3304

Washington State Hospital Association 
999 Third Avenue, Suite 1400
Seattle, WA 98104
206.281.7211

Your Career as a Healthcare Executive 

References

Career cluster

• Health Science

Career path

• Enterprising (Business Communications)

O*Net  occupation

• Medical and Health Services Managers (11-9111.00) 

O*Net job zone 

• Job Zone 5 - Extensive preparation needed. Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience.

DOT occupations

• Administrator, Health Care Facility (187.117-010) 
• Coordinator of Rehabilitation Services (076.117-010) 
• Director, Outpatient Services (187.117-058) 
• Emergency Medical Services Coordinator (079.117-010) 
• Medical-record Administrator (079.167-014) 

Strong Interest Inventory

• Nursing Home Administrator

Holland occupational clusters

• Enterprising/Conventional/Social
• Enterprising/Social/Conventional

COPSystem

• Business Professional